Freshman Move-In Day

Yesterday Ben moved into his dorm as a new college freshman, so I can't let it go without comment. He'll undoubtedly do well--it's his mother and me I'm worried about!

The university has the move-in process down to a science. Knowing the dorm in which Ben would live, we drove straight there, the Tahoe laden down with refrigerator, file cabinet, laptop, clothing, lots of personal items and provisions (aka drinks and Grandma's fresh-made cookies). The adviser to the honors program, Dr. Croskery, directed us to the parking area and the student lounge where Ben picked up his room key. Students helped unload our cargo and take it to Ben's room, where he found a welcome note from his new roommate, a trombonist in the marching band.

Aside from the mechanics of unloading and unpacking, cleaning and stowing, the day was splendid and special for all of us. Kathie and I did rather well in maintaining our composure, which undoubtedly made it easier for Ben--and less embarrassing to be around us. The three of us enjoyed our time together, visiting the student bookstore, having lunch together, searching for a hardware store to buy an extension cord for the fridge, and walking the campus.

When it came time to leave, Ben walked us to the parking lot, where we affixed a decal of the university's polar bear mascot to the rear window of the Tahoe. It may sound silly, but in its own way, the sticker is a small connection between us and our now-distant, now-a-bona-fide-college-student son. Warm hugs were shared all around, then Kathie and I left him to begin his new life.